1 C ontend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

2 T ake hold of buckler and shield And rise up for my help.

Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.

3 D raw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”

4 L et those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.

Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.

5 L et them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the Lord driving them on.

Let them be as chaff before the wind, Yahweh’s angel driving them on.

6 L et their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Let their way be dark and slippery, Yahweh’s angel pursuing them.

7 F or without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.

8 L et destruction come upon him unawares, And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.

9 A nd my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; It shall exult in His salvation.

My soul shall be joyful in Yahweh. It shall rejoice in his salvation.

10 A ll my bones will say, “ Lord, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”

11 M alicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I do not know.

Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

12 T hey repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul.

They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.

13 B ut as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom.

14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.

15 B ut at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing.

But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

16 L ike godless jesters at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth.

Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 L ord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions.

Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.

18 I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng.

I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you among many people.

19 D o not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.

Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

20 F or they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

21 T hey opened their mouth wide against me; They said, “ Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

22 Y ou have seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent; O Lord, do not be far from me.

You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.

23 S tir up Yourself, and awake to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!

24 J udge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness, And do not let them rejoice over me.

Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.

25 D o not let them say in their heart, “ Aha, our desire!” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!” Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

26 L et those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress; Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.

27 L et them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause. Yes, let them say continually, “Yahweh be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”

28 A nd my tongue shall declare Your righteousness And Your praise all day long.

My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.